Deforming device for elongated elements



H. BREUER April 30, 1968 DEFORMING DEVICE FOR ELONGATED ELEMENTS FiledJan. 27, 1966 INVENTOR.

Attorney Heinz Breuer States My present invention relates to stampingdevices and the like of the type generally employed for the bending ofelongated metallic members and, more particularly, to a stamping pressin which eccentric means drives a bending die or other tool against aworkpiece supported by an anvil.

Devices of this general character have been proposed heretofore for thebending of wire, bands, strips and profiled elongated metallic membersinto any desired configuration, such devices having a tool or dieshiftable in a support structure and adapted to press the elongatedmember against a fixed die or anvil with a force derived from a cam,crankshaft, eccentric or the like; for the most part, the anvil die isfixed with respect to the support structure or is movable therein in thedirection of displacement of the ram die and can be provided withrecesses or protuberances complementary to or cooperating withprojections or recesses of the ram die or other tool part to impart tothe metallic band, wire, or profiled bar the desired configuration. Theeccentric was, in turn, driven by a source of motive power, e.g. anelectric motor, and in some arrangements was a cam whose carn followerwas coupled with the ram. The finished workpiece was then ejected fromthe device concurrently with or synchronosuly upon the Withdrawal strokeof the ram and its tool or die. An important application of machines ofthis character has been in the field of band or wire bending for theproduction of industrial or commercial frames, hangers, wire furniture,stands and the like and substantially any configuration or profile of abent elongated element can be attained or used. Thus, wires or rods ofcircular, elliptical, triangular and rectangular cross-section have beenemployed and the bends have been made in the plane of the face of thewire or transversely thereto. Other suitable elongated members includemetal strips and bands of varying widths.

For the most part, however, the prior-art devices of this nature werecharacterized by an undue stress upon the bearing structures of thedrive shafts or axles of the eccentric or cam during the pressurestroke. When the object to be deformed was of relatively inflexiblematerial or was to be bent through a relatively small radius or deformedover a large area, the resistance to the stroke of the ram was such asto apply considerable strain in one direction to the bearing structuresof the eccentric or cam. During the withdrawal or retraction stroke,however, no corresponding stress is developed so that the bearing systemtends to wear prematurely and requires much care and frequentreplacement.

it is, therefore, the principal object of the present invention toprovide an improved deforming device having a shiftable ram and anvilstructure, especially suitable for wire or rod bending, which is capableof avoiding the disadvantages mentioned above and is characterized by along useful life, minimum danger of breakdown and high force efficiency.

A further object of this invention is to provide a deforming device ofthe character described which permits of ready replacement or adjustmentof the deforming ice dies or tool parts, is capable of precise operationand is readily adjustable for most purposes.

According to a general feature of this invention, an improveddeformation press comprises a support frame or structure having an anvilmember provided with a counter tool part or die and a ram membershiftable toward the anvil member in the support structure; the presentimprovement resides in part in the provision of an axle in the supportstructure for a pair of forcetransmitting levers forming a scissor-typelinkage. The levers are independently coupled with the ram which isconstituted as a slide guided in the support structure viapivotal links.These levers are, in turn, provided with respective connecting rodsmounted upon a crankshaft such that the levers are rotated or pivotedabout their common axle in opposite senses and the force momentassociated with each of these levers is effective at least during theworking stroke of the ram in opposite senses with respect to the axis ofthe crankshaft whereby no resultant radial vector force can beconsidered as effective at this axis. Thus, the force moments at theeccentric or crankshaft are only torque moments tending to rotate orresist rotation of the crankshaft and no unidirectional strain upon thebearing system is produced.

According to a more specific feature of this invention, the axle orpivot common to the levers is itself eccentrically mounted in thesupport structure to permit shifting of the pivoting axis toward or awayfrom the stationary die. Thus the stroke of the ram or its limitingpositions can be modified in response to wear of the tool parts or diesor the replacement of such die. Advantageously, the link means assignedto the respective levers are disposed on opposite sides of a planethrough the axis of pivoting movement thereof and extending in thedirection of movement of the slide or ram. Furthermore, the slide andsupport structures are provided with mating dovetail formation in thedirection of movement of the slide for positive positioning thereofwhile the tool parts or dies and the slide or anvil are provided withcorresponding and mating dovetail formations allowing adjustment of thetool parts in the plane of the slide movement but perpendicular thereto.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will become more readily apparent from the followingdescription, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a lateral elevational view, partly broken away, of a stampingdevice for the deformation of elongated elements in accordance with thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a view taken along the line Il-I1 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line Iii-III of FIG. 2.

In the drawing, I show a support structure which constitutes a pressframe consisting of a pair of front and back plates 2, 3, held together*by a block 20 and bolts 21 at the top of the press and by an anvilmember 23 and bolts 22 at the base of the press. The plates 2, 3 thussandwich between them the ram means 4 which is constituted as anelongated vertically, shiftable slid body; the latter has dovetailrecesses 6a, 6a, extending in the vertical direction and receiving thedovetails 6b, 6b which are affixed to the plates 2, 3 by bolts 6'. Thus,the mating formations 6a, 6b and 6a, 6b, by means of which the slide 4is guided upon the plates 2 and 3, prevent lateral movement of the slide4 as well as torsional motions and any other effects tending todislocate the slide 4. As will be apparent from FIGS. 1 and 2, the slide4 is provided with a further dovetail means 7 whereby a tool part 5' ofthe bending press can be affixed to the slide. The dovetail formation 7includes the dovetail recess 7a of the slide which extendslongitudinally (arrow 25 in FIG. 2) in the body of the slide 4 andreceives the dovetail 7b affixed to the tool part 5 whose bendingprotuberance is shown at 5a- The complementary tool part 5", which isafiixed to, but slidable along the anvil 23 via a further dovetailarrangement 7, has projections 5a" which co-operate with the projections5a upon downward movement of the slide 4 to bend any elongated elementinserted into the press. Clamping bodies d and 8" lock the tool parts5', 5" in place in their respective dovetail guides 7, 7" and havescrews 8a and 8a" for this purpose.

At the upper side of slide 4, I provide lugs 4', 4" by means of whichlink pairs 9, 9" are pivotally secured via pins 9a, 9a" to the slide.These double links 9, 9" are pivotally connected, in turn, by pins 912and 9b" to a rearward portion of a lever 11 and a forward projection 1dof a lever 10. The levers 1t), 11 are individually swingable about anaxle formed by the pivot shaft 15 which is eccentrically mounted betweenthe plates as shown at 15 so that, upon rotation of the shaft 15, thecommon pivoting axis of the levers 10 and 11 can be shifted toward andaway from the anvil 23 to permit adjustment of the limiting position ofthe stroke of the slide 4 to compensate for wear of the tool parts 5'and 5". The shaft is formed as a bolt whose head 15" is seated againstthe plate 2. and which can be tightened by a nut 16 to lock the selectedposition of the shaft.

The levers 11 and 11, at locations remote from the pivot shaft 15, areindividually articulated to respective connecting rods 12 and 13 which,in turn, are swingably mounted upon respective portions 12' and 13' of acrankshaft generally designated 14 and driven by a motor or the like inthe usual manner. The eccentric portions 12, 13' of the crankshaft 14are angularly offset from one another so that, upon rotation of thecrankshaft about its axis A, the connecting rods 12 and 13 moveoppositely upwardly and downwardly to impart swinging movements to thelevers 1t} and 11 in the opposite senses. Thus, when rotation of lever10 is effected in the clockwise sense, the lever 11 is swungcounterclockwise and the slide 4 driven downwardly. This corresponds tothe deformation stroke of the press, and the considerable reaction forceapplied to the crankshaft 14 is balanced by forces in oppositedirections so that only a torque strain is observed in the crankshaft 14and substantially no unbalanced radial force is applied to thecrankshaft bearings.

The entire apparatus is highly compact, permits ready adjustment of thetool parts for the deformation of wires,

bands and the like which require bending at locations offset from thecenter of the press, and is free from wear at locations involvingdifferences with prior systems.

It will be understood that the invention as described and illustratedwill admit of modifications readily apparent to those skilled in the artand encompassed within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device for the deformation of elongated elements, comprising asupport structure; anvil means on said support structure; ram meansslidably mounted on said support structure for movement toward and awayfrom said anvil means, said ram means and said anvil means beingprovided with respective cooperating tool parts adapted to impart tosaid elements a desired configuration upon engagement of said elementsbetween said tool parts as said ram means is shifted toward said anvilmeans; a pair of levers pivotally mounted on said support structure andindividually swingable thereon; respective link means pivotallyconnecting each of said levers with said ram means for shifting sametoward and away from said anvil means; crankshaft means rotatable fordisplacing said ram means; and respective connecting rods pivotallyconnecting said levers with said crankshaft means for individualmovement of said levers thereof to shift said ram means.

2. A device as defined in claim 1, further comprising a common pivotalshaft for said levers forming a common pivotal axis therefor extendingperpendicularly to the direction of movement of said ram means.

3. A device as defined in claim 2, further comprising means for mountingsaid pivotal shaft eccentrically in said support structure for selectivemovement of said axis toward and away from said anvil means, therebypermitting adjustment of said ram means upon wear of said tool parts.

4. A device as defined in claim 2 wherein said link means each include apair of links pivotally connected to the respective levers with saidpairs of links being disposed on opposite sides of said axis, said linkslying substantially in respective planes perpendicular to said axis andparallel to the direction of movement of said ram means, said links eachbeing pivotally connected with said ram means.

5. A device as defined in claim 4 wherein said crankshaft means has atleast two angularly offset eccentric portions each connected with arespective one of said connecting rods and dimensioned such that theconnecting rods move in opposite directions and said levers pivot inopposite senses upon rotation of said crankshaft means.

6. A device as defined in claim 4 wherein said support structureincludes a pair of plates extending generally in planes parallel to thedirection of displacement of said ram means, said ram means constitutinga slider received between said plates, at least one of said plates andsaid slider being provided with relatively displaceable matinglyinterconnecting dovetail formations guiding said slider on said supportstructure.

7. A device as defined in claim 4 wherein at least one of said ram andanvil means and the respective tool part are provided with relativelyslidable matingly co-operating dovetail formations permitting slidingmovement of the respective tool part in a direction transverse to saidaxis, said device further comprising clamping means for locking theslidable tool part in any desired operative position thereof in its pathof movement.

8. A device as defined in claim 9 wherein both said anvil and ram meansare elongated bodies extending transversely to said axis and areprovided with longitudinally extending dovetail formations connectingthe respective tool part therewith, said tool parts each being providedwith respective clamping means enabling the fixing of the tool partsover the entire length of said bodies.

9. A device as defined in claim 6 wherein said levers extend generallyparallel to one another outwardly of said support structure in adirection generally perpendicular to said axis, one of said levershaving a projection pivotally connected to the respective pair of linksbeyond said pivotal shaft, the other pair of links being connected withthe other of said levers rearwardly of said pivotal shaft with respectto the direction of extension of said projection, each of said plateshaving a dovetail formation slidably guiding said ram means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 411,480 9/1889 Warren 72-4502,113,161 4/1938 Osborne 72-450 3,003,540 10/1961 Robinson 72450 FOREIGNPATENTS 836,888 4/ 1952 Germany.

CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner.

1. A DEVICE FOR THE DEFORMATION OF ELONGATED ELEMENTS, COMPRISING ASUPPORT STRUCTURE; ANVIL MEANS ON SAID SUPPORT STRUCTURE; RAM MEANSSLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT STRUCTURE FOR MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAYFROM SAID ANVIL MEANS, SAID RAM MEANS AND SAID ANVIL MEANS BEINGPROVIDED WITH RESPECTIVE COOPERATING TOOL PARTS ADAPTED TO IMPART TOSAID ELEMENTS A DESIRED CONFIGURATION UPON ENGAGEMENT OF SAID ELEMENTSBETWEEN SAID TOOL PARTS AS SAID RAM MEANS IS SHIFTED TOWARD SAID ANVILMEANS; A PAIR OF LEVERS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT STRUCTURE ANDINDIVIDUALLY SWINGABLE THEREON; RESPECTIVE LINK MEANS PIVOTALLYCONNECTING EACH OF SAID LEVERS WITH SAID RAM MEANS FOR SHIFTING SAMETOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID ANVIL MEANS; CRANKSHAFT MEANS ROTATABLE FORDISPLACING SAID RAM MEANS; AND RESPECTIVE CONNECTING RODS PIVOTALLYCONNECTING SAID LEVERS WITH SAID CRANKSHAFT MEANS FOR INDIVIDUALMOVEMENT OF SAID LEVERS THEREOF TO SHIFT SAID RAM MEANS.